Food and Festivities for the Wall Street Journal

Before I head home for a short visit, I spent a few days working for the Wall Street Journal. It’s my first time working for Rupert Murdoch’s esteemed organ.

I’ve to write two stories before getting on the plane, both for a special Brazil section. The Journal is, I believe, starting to pump out the kind of money-making sections that have been a stock in trade at the Financial Times.

My first piece is a simple one detailing 10 events not to be missed in Brazil this year. The second was more fun and is not unlike the piece I wrote for Monocle about Rio’s Best 10 Bars. I am heading out with one of São Paulo’s coolest young chefs to visit his Top 10 restaurants. (Actually, we’ll only have time to visit half that number but the list will be 10.)

It’ll be no suprise to anyone that we’ll start at D.O.M. Run by Alex Atala, the rock star of Brazil’s culinary scene, D.O.M. has gathered dozens of awards over the last few years.

Does that mean the chef showing me around is Alex Atala? Or is it another of the Brazilian generation of tattoo-ed Jamie/Gordon/Marco-Pierres emulators?

Will Brasil a Gosto make the list? Will there be more Italians than Japanese? How many churrascarias will be there?